TheTodd Staples, Wine is involved in two important things. First, as you have doubtless seen from his frequent television commercials, he is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Second, he is about to deliberate over the future of the Go Texan rule regarding how much of the grapes in a wine marked ‘Go Texan’ must be Texas fruit. The rule he inherited is a travesty — it allows such a wine to contain 0% Texas fruit!

In the first part of the recent comment period, consumer response was overwhelming. All except one consumer favored abolishing the current 0% rule and requiring at least 75% Texas fruit in Go Texan wine.

Even 40% of wineries favored abolishing the current 0% rule and requiring at least 75% Texas fruit in Go Texan wine.

The written comments show that it is a runt of producers who want the right to bring in finished California jug wine, mix it here, and slap the Go Texan mark on it, who account for virtually all who favor the 0% rule.

There is only one decision that a principled man could take regarding the 0% rule – abolition. Either move to 75% Texas fruit or 100% Texas fruit. Keeping the rule would be to kowtow to the juice mixers and their donations. When the Texas Department of Agriculture comes down with its decision, it will tell us as much about Todd Staples as it does about Go Texan.

4 responses to “We Are About To Get Insight Into The Character Of Todd Staples”

You should really stop calling it “jug wine” Many wineries bring in high quality wines, finish them and bottle them, and label them correctly. They are not “jug wines” It is a business model that apparently you can’t understand. For many this is a business, not a hobby. You should respect that!

Bob: I say “jug wine” because I have tried them. I actually cannot think of any that have impressed me, ever. To me the genre is synonymous with California jug wine sold at prices higher than just buying a California label.

BTW: What wines were you thinking of and I assume that you have no commercial interest in any of these?

Andrew… I have been following your posts for sometime now and I continue to laugh at your ignorance and lack of understanding of the wine industry and the above comment to Bob shows how much of an ass you really are. Make sure you have your facts straight before you write stories that aren’t fact based. However, your stance on requiring wineries to have at least 75% to use the Go Texan logo is sound and I support that. But… lets not just focus here on the wineries – it feels discriminatory to say the least. If you walk into any HEB in Texas, you will see produce, food, and other items that display the Go Texan logo and if you look close, many of them are products of other countries like Mexico, Chili, Columbia, etc. If you really want this to be fair, make it across ALL Go Texan products – not just wine. In addition, I see very few wineries in Texas using the Go Texan logo and for most consumers, it has lost it’s luster all together.

I would suggest that it is hard to compare Hummus produced in Texas from Chick-Peas grown in Mexico, with the Go Texan label, to a bottle of wine. But, I am a wine consumer that is interested in the grape’s origin, the terroir (land, climate, elevation, etc) as the french call it. But many wine consumers just want something red, or something white, with some sweetness and a cool label. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, when it comes to wine, the Go Texan label should be reserved for those wines with 100% Texas Grapes. I suggest it as a token of respect for the Texas Farmer that tries to make a living out growing grapes. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Texas Winemaker who choses to get their juice from outside the state. Go for it. They will have many consumers paying $40 for a bottle in their tasting room for California Wine that sells under a California winemaker’s label for $14.99.